Myra Levine

CONSERVATION MODEL
(Myra E. Levine)
ABOUT THE
THEORIST
Chicago, Illinois
developed an interest in nursing because her father
(who had gastrointestinal problems) was frequently ill
and required nursing care on many occasions
graduated from the Cook County School of Nursing in
1944
obtained her BS in nursing from the University of
Chicago in 1949
worked as a private duty nurse and a civilian nurse for
the US Army, as a surgical nursing supervisor
authored 77 published articles which included An
Introduction to Clinical Nursing with multiple
publication years on 1969, 1973 & 1989
MAJOR CONCEPTS
Person
holistic being who constantly strives to preserve wholeness
and integrity and one who is sentient, thinking, future-
oriented, and past-aware
a unique individual in unity and integrity, feeling, believing,
thinking and whole system of system.
Environment
completes the wholeness of the individual
Internal Environment
combines the physiological and pathophysiological aspects of
the individual and is constantly challenged by the external
environment
integration of bodily functions that
resembleshomeorrhesisrather thanhomeostasisand is
(Homeostasisis a state of energy sparing that also provides
the necessary baselines for a multitude of synchronized
physiological and psychological factors, whilehomeorrhesisis a
stabilized flow rather than a static state. The internal
environment emphasizes the fluidity of change within a space-
time continuum. )
External Environment
divided into the perceptual, operational, and conceptual
environments

Perceptual Environment
portion of the external environment which individuals respond
to with their sense organs and includes light, sound, touch,
temperature, chemical change that is smelled or tasted, and
position sense and balance
Operational Environment
portion of the external environment which interacts with living

Conceptual Environment
portion of the external environment that consists of
language, ideas, symbols, and concepts and inventions and
encompasses the exchange of language, the ability to think
and experience emotion, value systems, religious beliefs,
ethnic and cultural traditions, and individual psychological
patterns that come from life experiences
Health
is implied to mean unity and integrity and is a wholeness
and successful adaptation.
not only the insult or the injury that is repaired but the
person himself or herself, it is rather a return to self hood,
where the encroachment of the disability can be set aside
entirely, and the individual is free to pursue once more his or
her own interests without constraint
Nursing
involves engaging in human
interactions
goal is to promote wholeness, realizing
that every individual requires a unique
and separate cluster of activities. The
individuals integrity is his/her abiding
concern and it is the nurses
responsibility to assist the patient to
defend and to seek its realization
Levines Conservation
Model
The model guides the nurse to focus on
the influences and responses at the
organismic level. The nurse accomplishes
the goals of the model through the
conservation of energy, structure, and
personal and social integrity.
COMPOSITION OF
CONSERVATION MODEL
Adaptation
process of change, and conservation is the outcome of adaptation,
whereby the patient maintains integrity within the realities of the
environment
achieved through the frugal, economic, contained, and controlled
use of environmental resources by the individual in his or her best
interest
Wholeness
wholeness emphasizes a sound, organic, progressive mutuality
between diversified functions and parts within an entirety, the
boundaries of which are open and fluid
the unceasing interaction of the individual organism with its
environment represents an open and fluid system, and a condition
of health, wholeness, exists when the interaction or constant
adaptations to the environment, permit easethe assurance of
Conservation
the product of adaptation.
conservation is from the Latin word conservatio,
meaning to keep together describes the way
complex systems are able to continue to
function even when severely challenged through
conservation, individuals are able to confront
obstacles, adapt accordingly, and maintain their
uniqueness
the goal of conservation is health and the
strength to confront disability
primary focus is keeping together of the
wholeness of the individual, although nursing
interventions may deal with one particualr
conservation principle, nurses must also
PRINCIPLES OF
CONSERVATION
MODEL
The core, or central concept, of Levines theory isconservation.
When a person is in a state of conservation, it means that
individual adaptive responses conform change productively, and
with the least expenditure of effort, while preserving optimal
function and identity. Conservation is achieved through
successful activation of adaptive pathways and behaviors that
are appropriate for the wide range of responses required by
functioning human beings.
These principles focus on conserving an individual's wholeness.

I. Conservation of Energy
-refers to balancing energy input and
output to avoid excessive fatigue, it
includes adequate rest, nutrition and
exercise
Examples: Availability of adequate rest;
Maintenance of adequate nutrition
II. Conservation of Structural Integrity
-refers to maintaining or restoring the
structure of body preventing physical
breakdown and promoting healing
Examples: Assist patient in ROM exercise;
Maintenance of patients personal hygiene
III. Conservation of Personal
Integrity
-recognizes the individual as one
who strives for recognition, respect,
self awareness, selfhood and self
determination
Example: Recognize and protect
IV. Conservation of Social Integrity
-an individual is recognized as some one
who resides with in a family, a community,
a religious group, an ethnic group, a
political system and a nation
Example: Help the individual to preserve his
or her place in a family, community, and
society.
ASSUMPTIONS
The nurse creates an environment in which
healing could occur
A human being is more than the sum of the part
Human being respond in a predictable way
Human being are unique in their responses
Human being know and appraise objects
,condition and situation
Human being sense ,reflects, reason and
understand
Human being action are self determined even
when emotional
Human being are capable of prolonging reflection
through such strategists raising questions
Human being make decision through prioritizing
Human being must be aware and able to contemplate objects,
condition and situation
Human being are agents who act deliberately to attain goal
Adaptive changes involve the whole individual
A human being has unity in his response to the environment
Every person possesses a unique adaptive ability based on
ones life experience which creates a unique message
There is an order and continuity to life change is not random
A human being respond organismically in an ever changing
manner
A theory of nursing must recognized the importance of detail
of care for a single patient with in an empiric framework that
successfully describe the requirement of the all patient
A human being is a social animal
A human being is an constant interaction with an ever
changing society
Change is inevitable in life
Nursing needs existing and emerging demands of self care and
dependant care
LIMITATIONS
Despite the comprehensiveness and wide

application of Levine's theory, the model is not
without limitation. For example, Levine's
conservation model focuses on illness as opposed to
health; thus, nursing interventions are limited to
addressing only the presenting condition of an
individual. Hence, nursing interventions under
Levine's theory have a present and short-term
focus and do not support health promotion and
illness prevention principles, even though these are
essential components of current nursing practice.
Thus, the major limitation is the focus on
individual in an illness state and on the
dependency of patient.
LIMITATION
There are a number of limitations when it comes to the four
principles. On conservation of energy, Levines goal is to avoid
fatigue or excessive use of energy. This is manageable in the
bedside care of ill clients. In cases where energy needs to be
utilized rather than conserved like in manic patients, ADHD in
children or those with limited movements such as paralyzed
clients, Levines theory does not apply. On conservation of
structural integrity, the focus is to preserve the anatomical
structure of the body as well as to prevent damage to the
anatomical structure. This, again, has limitations. In cases
where the anatomical structure is not so perfect but without
identified disfigurement or problems as in plastic surgeries,
procedures like breast enhancements and liposuctions; the
person's structural integrity is compromised but it is the
patient's choice seeking physical beauty and psychological
satisfaction that is taken into consideration..
APPLICATION
Talking to a 70 yrs old patient with a chief complaint of
difficulty of breathing and chest pain diagnosed with
congestive heart failure. As part of his care plan, As his
nurse I need to make sure that he can recover not only
with the aid of pharmacological treatment such as
diuretics and anti anginal drugs and dependent nursing
actions coming from doctors but also to initiate action in
such a way to alleviate his condition. Conserving his
energy to promote better respiration, lessen cardiac
workload is a big help for the patient having congestion.
On the other hand, assisting patient what to do in a nice
way or with respect will maintain their personal integrity.
by these simple nursing intervention, faster recovery of
patient is at hand, Levine's conservation principles were
indeed valuable in hospital settings.
CONCLUSION
Levine expressed the view that within the
nurse-patient relationship a patients state
of health is dependent on the nurse-
supported process of adaptation. This guides
nurses to focus on the influences and
responses of a client to promote wholeness
through the Conservation Principles. The
goal of this model is to accomplish this
through the conservation of energy,
structural, personal and social integrity. The
goal of nursing is to recognize, assist,
promote, and support adaptive processes
THE END
THANK YOU FOR
LISTENING
NINA HAMILI G. PIAO, RN

Myra Levine

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CONSERVATION MODEL

These principles focus on conserving an individual's wholeness.

Despite the comprehensiveness and wide

NINA HAMILI G. PIAO, RN

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